Package of screws

ABSTRACT

A screw package is provided formed of at least two stiff friable membranes arranged in spaced parallel relation each having aligned holes therein. The holes in one of the membranes being shaped to receive the head of a screw and the holes in the other membrane being adapted to receive the tip of a screw. A screw is inserted longitudinally through each pair of aligned holes with its head resting in the shaped hole of one of the membranes and its tip projecting through the other membrane. The heads of the screws are secured in position by a fluid bonding agent which is applied in the fluid state and then hardened. The membranes are sufficiently friable to permit the screws to be singly removed from the membranes as the screw is driven to apply it by the rotating motion of a driving means, such as a screwdriver.

United States Patent n 1 Roeder 1 Feb. 27, 1973 1 PACKAGE OF SCREWS [75]Inventor: Gerald M. Roeder, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[73] Assignee: United States Steel Corporation [22] Filed: Dec. 16, 1971[21] Appl. No.: 208,789

Primary Examiner--Leonard Summer Att0meyDonald S. Ferito He ga monuental:

..rlrlalri rlslelrlalmlrle rl i -rill lglglg l [57] ABSTRACT A screwpackage is provided formed of at least two stiff friable membranesarranged in spaced parallel relation each having aligned holes therein.The holes in one of the membranes being shaped to receive the head of ascrew and the holes in the other membrane being adapted to receive thetip of a screw. A screw is inserted longitudinally through each pair ofaligned holes with its head resting in the shaped hole of one of themembranes and its tip projecting through the other membrane. The headsof the screws are secured in position by a fluid bonding agent which isapplied in the fluid state and then hardened. The membranes aresufficiently friable to permit the screws to be singly removed from themembranes as the screw is driven to apply it by the rotating motion of adriving means, such as a screwdriver.

Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ring PACKAGE OF SCREWS The present inventionrelates generally to material handling and more particularly to animproved screw package especially suitable for handling a plurality ofscrews and positioning them individually over the desired point ofinstallation.

Prior to my invention, when a workman used screws in the construction ofhouses and buildings or in the assembly of enclosures or containers, theworkman would secure a handful of screws from a box in which the screwswere loosely packed. Then he would individually orient each screw withhis fingers as he positioned it over a desired point of application.Then during the actual driving process, the workmans fingers would be incontact with the turning screw and with the turning and descending tipof a screwdriver which could be power or manually operated. Thisprocedure, when a powered screwdriver was used, was not only dangerousfor the workman but was excessively time consuming as well since itrequired so much effort on the part of the workman.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of my invention to provide ascrew package wherein a plurality of screws are held together inalignment in a frangible material which is easily manipulated toposition an individual screw over a desired point for installation andheld there by grasping the package or a handle thereon as the screw isdriven and separated from the package while it is being driven.

This and other objects will become more apparent after referring to thefollowing specification and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the package of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the package of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial front elevational view of a modified embodiment ofthe invention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2designates generally a preferred embodiment of my invention consistingof a single sheet of stiff frangible material, such as stiffened paper,styrofoam or plastic material. The sheet is folded to form an uppermembrane 4, a lower membrane 6 spaced from and substantially parallelwith membrane 4, and a handle 8 connecting the two membranes, as bestshown in FIG. 2.

The upper and lower membranes 4 and 6 are provided with a plurality ofholes 10 and 12, respectively, in an area bounded on two opposite sides14 and 16, respectively, by rolled edges to provide additional rigidity.

A screw 18, which may be of a self-drilling, selftapping type, isdisposed longitudinally in each pair of aligned holes 10 and 12 in themembranes 4 and 6 with the head of the screw resting in a hole 10 in theupper surface of the membrane 4 and the bottom tip of the screwprojecting through the aligned hole 12 in the lower membrane 6. As bestshown in FIG. 4, the holes 10 in membrane 4 are tapered inwardly so asto accommodate the tapered lower portion of the head of each screw 18.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the heads of the screws 18 are held in positionby a fluid bonding agent 20, such as lacquer, which is applied to thescrew heads in fluid form and then allowed to harden. If desired, thebonding agent may be applied to any other part of the screw or package.

FIG. 3 shows a modified embodiment of the package of the invention inwhich the lower membrane 6' is corrugated to provide greater rigidity tothe package.

During use, the package of the invention is positioned on the work areain such a way that a corner screw is located over an intended point ofapplication. The tip of a screwdriver (powered or manually operated) isfitted into the slot in the head of the screw. The screwdriver isactuated and the package is withdrawn approximately an inch away fromthe work area. The screw is driven in a conventional manner. The packageis then moved to the next application point and the next screw is drivenin similar manner.

It will be obvious that the package of the invention speeds up theapplication of screws and greatly lessens the possibility of injury tothe workman applying the screws when a powered screwdriver is used.

Although I have shown the use of lacquer as the bonding agent, it willbe understood that a suitable plasticizer may be used for this purpose.

The package may be formed from a single sheet of material as l haveshown or alternatively a number of separate membranes may be assembledto provide the structure.

Further, a solid package may be provided by molding a liquid plaster,rubber cement, or soap about the screws and allowing the liquid plaster,rubber cement or soap to dry in air or by the application of suitableheat or other solidifying means.

Where soap s utilized to form the solid package, the soap would providelubrication to the screws as they were being applied in the work area.This self-lubricating function would increase the speed at which thescrews could be driven.

While I have shown but two embodiments of my invention, otheradaptations and modifications may be made without departing from thescope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A screw package comprising a pair of spaced parallel planar membranesof stiff friable material, a plurality of aligned holes in saidmembranes, a screw longitudinally disposed in each pair of said alignedholes with its head resting against the surface of said one of saidmembranes and its shank projecting from said one of said membranes andits tip projecting through and beyond the hole in said other of saidmembranes aligned with the hole in said one of said membranes throughwhich the shank portion of the screw projects, said screws being securedin position by a fluid bonding agent applied in the fluid state and thenhardened.

2. A package as defined by claim 1 including a handle connecting saidpair of membranes.

3. A package as defined by claim l in which said other of said membranesis corrugated.

4. A package as defined by claim 1 in which at least two opposite edgesof each of said membranes is rolled to provide added rigidity.

5. A package as defined by claim 1 in which each of said holes in saidone of said membranes is tapered to conform with the portion of a screwadjacent the head thereof.

1. A screw package comprising a pair of spaced parallel planar membranesof stiff friable material, a plurality of aligned holes in saidmembranes, a screw longitudinally disposed in each pair of said alignedholes with its head resting against the surface of said one of saidmembranes and its shank projecting from said one of said membranes andits tip projecting through and beyond the hole in said other of saidmembranes aligned with the hole in said one of said membranes throughwhich the shank portion of the screw projects, said screws being securedin position by a fluid bonding agent applied in the fluid state and thenhardened.
 2. A package as defined by claim 1 including a handleconnecting said pair of membranes.
 3. A package as defined by claim 1 inwhich said other of said membranes is corrugated.
 4. A package asdefined by claim 1 in which at least two opposite edges of each of saidmembranes is rolled to provide added rigidity.
 5. A package as definedby claim 1 in which each of said holes in said one of said membranes istapered to conform with the portion of a screw adjacent the headthereof.